Breed Introduction: Bolognese Dog

Breed Introduction: Bolognese Dog

A true companion dog, the Bolognese dog breed loves to be at his family’s side. However, he also loves getting his way and can be quite crafty about it, so be careful — you could find yourself being manipulated by a 10-pound fur ball!

Comical and curious, this intelligent and devoted dog loves to spend time with his people, whether it’s going for walks, running errands, or playing with the kids. A member of the Bichon family of white, fluffy dogs — he’s also known as the Bichon Bolognese — he originated in the Italian city of Bologna, where which the name was taken from. He excels at manipulating people to get his way, and can be difficult to housetrain, so be patient and consistent!

Origin Of Bolognese Dog

Its origin is confused with those of the Maltese, because its distant ancestors are the same little dogs mentioned in Latin by Aristotle (384 – 322 BC), under the denomination of “canes melitenses.” Already known in the Roman era, the Bolognese appears most especially among the very appreciated gifts that were made during a whole era by the powerful of that world. Cosimo de Medici (1389 – 1464) brought no less than eight to Brussels as gifts to as many Belgian noblemen.

Characteristics of Bolognese Dogs

1. Life Span

About 14 to 16 years.

2. Living Conditions

The Bolognese is a good dog for apartment life. It will do fine without a yard.

3. Temperament

They can get very serious and do not have very high energy. Enterprising, docile, enjoying his masters, the Bolognese is slightly more reserved and shy than its cousin, the Bichon Frise. Bologneses enjoy companionship of people and form a close relationship with their owners. Vivacious, playful and happy, Bolognese get along very well with other animals. This willing little dog is quite responsive to obedience training. When at outdoors, he is rough-and-tumble! When indoors, it is quiet and happy. They are friendly with strangers, get them accustomed to people and noises at an early age.

4. Physical Appearance

The length of the skull is slightly more than that of the muzzle. The nose is on the same line as the topline of the muzzle; seen in profile, its foreface is on the vertical. The nose is large and black. The muzzle’s length is equal to 2/5 of the length of the head; the topline of the muzzle is straight and the sides of the muzzle are parallel so that the fore part of the muzzle is almost square. The lower orbital region is well chiseled.

The upper lips are very developed in height; they do not cover the bottom lips, and the bottom profile of the muzzle is determined by the lower jaw. The jaw is normally developed, with top and bottom arches perfectly adapted. The teeth are white, evenly aligned, with strong and complete dentition.

The eyes are set on an almost frontal plan; well opened, of superior to normal in size. Eyelid opening is round; the eyeball must not be prominent and the white of the eye is not visible. The rims of the eyelids must be black and the iris has a dark ochre colour.

The ears are high set; they are long and hanging, and rather rigid at their base, so that the upper part of the external ear is detached from the skull, giving the impression of the head being larger than it really is. The neck is without dewlap; its length is equal to the length of the head. The dog being of a square construction, the length of the body, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock bone is equal to that of the height at the withers.